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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25134178">A Fowl Secret</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eli_the_Elien/pseuds/Eli_the_Elien'>Eli_the_Elien</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Sad Ending, This takes place many years before the show so darkwing is still kinda new to this superhero thing, steelbeak here is like a mix of his dt17 version and dwd91 version, there's some blood and a bit of violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:43:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,715</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25134178</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eli_the_Elien/pseuds/Eli_the_Elien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Whatever happened between Darkwing Duck and Steelbeak to make them act that way with each other in the show?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Drake Mallard/Steelbeak</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Crossfire</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi, this is my first time posting here and ao3 is a little confusing for me, but I think I figured it out. Here's my sad steelwing fic about how they broke up. I really like the idea of them being bitter exes.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Darkwing Duck sneaks around like a cat in the night-no a panther looking for its prey…and here he is now.” The young sly duck looks downward from a rooftop at three thieves stealing several pieces from a museum. “Ha ha this gonna make some big bucks! Right boys!” A rough looking rat matching with the black outfits of his underlings. The boys were hauling the treasures into a red van, “Yeeaaah!” The three say blandly in unison.</p><p>At that moment they see purple smoke, “I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the tear in your painting! I am Darkwing Duck!” Before the smoke could fade, they drove away with the museum peices. “Well seems I scared them!” He runs to his motorcycle conveniently named the Ratcatcher. “You can run but a criminal can never hide from Darkwing Duck!”</p><p>He revs the engine and speeds through the busy streets catching up to those miscreants. The rat swerves at Darkwing to trip him up but it doesn’t go right and crashes into a different car and flips over. The other car takes the brunt of it all and hits a brick wall hard causing the driver to fall out of the window.</p><p>The white suited chicken grunts dizzy and numbly, he thinks himself, <em>how could this day get any worse? OH right getting in a…car wreck</em>. He was supposed to be at his shoddy apartment after yet another failed job interview…before he loses consciousness he feels soft fabric over where his beak was and hears the voice of a duck trudging by, “OoH no!nononono-don’t worry citizen D-Darkwing Duck is gonna take you to the hospital!” There was a crack in his voice, and he was breathing heavy.</p><p>He was tearing up now while taking the large rooster to the Ratcatcher. He tore another piece of his cape to stop the bleeding, it’s a good thing he took those first aid lessons. Darkwing drives to the nearest hospital. As he passes a red light and hears a whistle from an angry cop he sighs, “I was supposed to be a hero, a superhero in fact! I-I was supposed to protect the citizens of St Canard-,”</p><p>He looks to the white suited bird who’s tux is now red from the blood dripping from his covered beak, well what’s left of it. “but I’m just a phony…just a caped clown!” He cries pitifully and goes even faster. The caped duck doesn’t bother to wipe his tears and rushes into the hospital carrying the injured man, “PLEASE HELP! H-he lost his B-BEAK!” The cracking in his voice is more apparent as he puts pained emphasis on each word.</p><p>The woman at the desk quickly calls over some nurses and hauls the beakless rooster to an ER room. The nurses work on him for an hour disinfecting and cleaning the wound and giving him painkillers. Darkwing paces about the waiting room like a restless cat. Even though it was the fault of that bastard of a rodent for crashing into that man’s car, he still blamed himself.  He’s also worried if he’s going to get into legal trouble for being the reason that criminal did that…<em>oh what am I gonna do</em>?</p><p>A doctor comes by, “Um…doc is he gonna be a-alright?” The doctor looks Darkwing up and down with a weird look, “You mean the man you brought in?” He nods, “Well we can’t salvage anything with the state his beak is in, so we’ll need to give him a prosthetic, but I believe he’ll have a great recovery just calm down sir.” At that remark he realized he was shaking especially with his hands and legs; he supposes he should just sit down.</p><p>He considers just staying overnight, besides it would rude to just not check up on the person he was supposed to protect! Darkwing is also tired from the chase and fight he had but particularly from the stress and the aftermath of the adrenaline rush. He takes his cape off and uses it as a blanket.</p><p>He wakes up to fluorescent lights now on and to people sitting in the various seats in the waiting room, he rubs his eyes, a nurse comes by to greet, “Hello sir, are you Darkwing Duck?” Darkwing wasn’t his usual cheery self, “Yes…” She puts on sympathetic smile, “He doesn’t have his prosthetic on yet and he’s still being operated on so it will take him a full three days to actually be able to have a visitor I suggest you just go home ok.”</p><p>Darkwing saw that smile of hers it meant pity, he drooped as he walked to the Ratcatcher</p><p>He goes back up that lonely tower of his, Darkwing has always said to himself that he wasn’t lonely, besides he was too busy to be lonely. Hard to believe huh.  Darkwing Duck takes off his mask and jacket, he stretches, “Weeeell, that was a…”Darkwing flops on his bed not even going under the covers, “long night.”</p><p>He tries to drift to sleep, but this was the first time in a while that he was awake to see sunlight creep into his fortress of solitude. Darkwing just puts the blanket over him, still doesn’t help but his body feels warmer and it helps the aching. Soon he falls to sleep.</p><p>For the next three days he fights crime that runs the city overnight, but when the criminal goes into the public Darkwing lets the police handle it…he doesn’t want another accident he caused to bring an innocent person into his fight against evil.</p><p>Even though Darkwing Duck is tired he fixes himself up to look presentable and pays a visit to the citizen that he saved. He gets taken into his room, the moment he looks at the rooster he feels even more guilty, more useless than before.</p><p>He hated seeing the outcome of what happened that night, seeing him with an I.V in him and that new beak made him feel happy that he was alright but those tubes, the steel on his face reminds him the reason why he has those. It was because Darkwing Duck couldn’t do his job right, at least that’s what he thinks.</p><p>He goes to sit next to the rooster, “Uh…hey! I’m the o-one who saved you the other night, you probably didn’t stay conscious, I’m Darkwing Duck…” He didn’t like how awkward his introduction was, but he wasn’t feeling so good about introducing himself to the guy anyway.</p><p>The man just scribbled something into a notebook that was given to him since he couldn’t talk quite yet, “Nice to meet you Darkwing! Thanks just call me Steelbeak!” Darkwing was thrown off with his name, “ Really I mean no one would call their child that (unless they’re a fortune teller but still) huh.”</p><p>Steelbeak puts up the notebook so Darkwing could see, “No it’s just a nickname I’m going by now, don’t wanna give my real name to strangers.” Darkwing figured that was the reason but still he did save him but at least someone’s appreciative of his services. “Well you’re welcome, but now I have to go.” As he gets up to leave Steelbeak grabs a hold of his hand, “You don’t want me to leave?” Steelbeak nods.</p><p>The thanks that Steelbeak gave made Darkwing glad so might as well stay besides criminals usually attack at night. The two talk some more, Darkwing with his dramatic retellings of his fight against crime with happy nods and words written in Steelbeak’s notebook. It was actually time for visitors to leave so Darkwing had to go back to his tower.</p><p>He stays up still since it’s night, it seems that Darkwing Duck has bonded with someone for the first time in 5 years.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Anniversary</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Darkwing looked to the calendar, it’s been two years since they’ve been together. He remembers the anniversary of their first meeting is coming soon, last year Steelbeak gave him an expensive hat and cape. He took him to his apartment and had a delicious homemade dinner. Darkwing already has a great gift ready all he needs is to call the man of the hour.</p><p>“So what was that again?”  The clunky phone ranged in the rooster pocket, “Oh just a moment uncle, I need to get this.” Steelbeak said nervously, he didn’t want his crook of an uncle to find out he was dating a superhero so he went outside. “Hey babe, what’s up?”</p><p>“I just wanna know if you’ll come with me, to the restaurant I mean.” Wow he sounded nervous. “Well I’m just talking with my uncle about looking for work.” He didn’t want to tell him what they were talking about, Darkwing would be heartbroken if he found out he was dating a criminal.</p><p>A small time criminal but still a criminal. “So when do you want to go?” There was that voice again, you could just imagine the man giving puppy eyes. “How about six babe, now my unc’s wait’n for me.” His tone brightened up, “That’s fine by me Steely!” Steelbeak hung the phone up.</p><p>“Ah ya done Steelbeak. Alright I know you’ve been surviving on petty crimes like drug dealings but being apart of this group gets ya a place like this.” The older rooster put his arms up for emphasis. “Uh by the way what is this anyway?” Steelbeak asked with a tilt of his head. His uncle coughed, “F.O.W.L, Fiendish Organization for World Larceny. It’s a terrorist group with dealings in the underworld, ya know black market, dark web, that sorts. There’s a position open, a very high position.”</p><p>“Who was in that position anyway.” The rooster in the red suit shrugged, “He doesn’t matter; I don’t even remember his name.” Steelbeak gotten more worried, “Did something happen to him?”  “Oh yeah the guy was fed to six trash compactors, but don’t worry as long as you follow their commands then you’ll  be fine. As a new recruit it’ll be ok for you to mess up a bit, nobody’s perfect!”</p><p>Steelbeak ran that sentence through his head, <em>SIX TRASH COMPACTOR!? S I X!?,</em> he couldn’t believe how his uncle acted like it was normal. “S-six…” He said under his breath, he was shocked out of his thoughts by a hand on his shoulder, “Like I said as long as ya follow orders and don’t mess up too much then you’ll be aight. And also between you and me, I have a few connections so I can pull some strings to get ya outta trouble!”</p><p>He hugged his nephew who’s sweating from racking his brain on what happened to his predecessor, but it beats living in that flat of his. “So do ya agree son, ya know to join F.O.W.L.” Steelbeak takes a deep breath, “Yeah sure.”</p><p>….</p><p>            “Sweety!” Darkwing had on a pink-purple suit with a bowtie and little white flower. Steelbeak chuckles at the hug and peck on his cheek feathers, “Heya Darkwing Doofus!” He says fondly. As they walk in and get a table, Steelbeak takes time to look more at Darkwing’s suit.</p><p>“Ya know you are lookin dangerously cute.” He says with a wink as they get seated. That gets Darkwing to fluster, he stumbles but finally speaks, “O-oh yeah t-thanks.” Darkwing fixes up his bowtie nervously even though they’ve been together for two years he still fumbles his words.</p><p>They ordered and ate happily while talking about that fateful night and recent events. There was something unusual about Steelbeak that Darkwing noticed.  He tried to ask but Steelbeak said he was fine, but there was something off, Darkwing didn’t want to ask further so they finished and left the restaurant.</p><p>Darkwing turned and looked up to him, “Here’s a little something I got for you Sweetbeak…” He took the cloth off of a basket. Which contained a heart-shaped box of cholates, a nice jacket, and a silver half heart necklace.</p><p>Steelbeak looked at it brightly and gently set it down by his feet. “I…man you’ve outdone yourself, ” he stared into Darkwing Duck’s eyes, “You’re such a show-off Darkwing…” Steelbeak pulled Darkwing towards him and kissed him.</p><p> Of course it was cold but Darkwing didn’t care, he returned the kiss. They hug tightly and pulled  away to Darkwing’s dismay. “Sorry Darks but I gotta go.” Darkwing wanted to be near him for just few more minutes, “Do you…need help getting home? It can get dangerous at night.” He turned to him, “I really need to go home and I can just take a taxi, ok babe.”</p><p>Steelbeak caressed Darkwing’s cheek, “Maybe we can meet again tomorrow, at your place.” Darkwing smiled at that and nodded, “Stay safe, alright Steely.” Steelbeak went back to the curb, “You too, and don’t stay up too late.” He whistled for a cab and got in while holding Darkwing’s gift.</p><p>Darkwing Duck drove back to his tower, he goes to his room. At the beginning of his career there was only a bed and a coat hanger in here but now he had several pictures of Steelbeak. Them at the beach, during winter, Halloween. He stares at them lovingly; he still can’t get what’s bothering his Steelbeak.</p><p>Darkwing’s also been bothered by something else, for three weeks now there’s been attempted bank heists. Every time he would make his entrance the fiend would run away without the bags. At first, he thought he just scared the robber away, but it’s been every ‘bank heist’, is it someone he knows and that’s why they’re avoiding him? He’ll find out who it is the next time it happens.</p><p>Darkwing puts on his costume, “Those crimes aren’t going to foil themselves…” he mumbles to himself and rides the Ratcatcher out of Darkwing Tower. After a few hours he finishes patrol early, he still remembers his worry for his boyfriend, “Maybe I should pay him a surprise visit to cheer him up.”</p><p>Steelbeak was sitting idly by watching television when the screen goes black then to red with three shadows lurking on the monitor. “Ah-Heya high command!” He jumps out of his recliner, “What’s happen’n. Didn’t know we’d have a meeting now.”</p><p>The smallest one out of them puts their hands together, “It seems that your uncle has lied to us, you’ve been nothing but worthless to this organization.” At that statement Steelbeak started stammering, “B-but I can be useful to ya! Just g-give me a second chance ok I got this!”</p><p>The hunchback spoke, “That’s what you said before you went to steal money from a bank and ran the moment you saw trouble. Why do you keep running with your tail between your  legs?” All three of them stared at Steelbeak coldly, patient to hear his answer.</p><p>Steelbeak felt small he opened his beak several times but closed it, trying to come up with something. “I-I just didn’t want to get caught…” The fanged one sighed and face palmed, “You know we can always bail you out of prison or are you just that stupid.”</p><p>Stupid. He hated that word, his father always called him that, his teachers, and his peers. The one person that didn’t call him that was his uncle, Steelbeak’s father always hated that guy for some reason.</p><p>“You know, we could just put away the trash, or in simpler terms we could just kill you-“ They hear a crash, Steelbeak goes wide eyed, “Darks! Wh-what are you doing here!?” The high command scolding him puts an eyebrow up, “Darks?”</p><p> Darkwing Duck heard those words and immediately got enraged. He stomps up to the monitor, “Trash! KILL! What the hell are you talking about!? Threatening MY Steelbeak! NOT ON MY FUCKING WATCH!! If you dare lay a finger on my boyfriend, I’ll make you regret it!”</p><p> All three looked to Steelbeak, “Are you dating Darkwing Duck?!!” Steelbeak looks back to Darkwing to high command and chuckles nervously, “Heh…I-I can explain! I mean I don’t even know the guy. Ha! Like who IS this caped clown? Darkwing Duck? More like Darkwing Doofus…” He laughs forcibly.</p><p>            Darkwing Stares at him with worry, “Sweetbeak…what’s wrong?” Steelbeak was silent for a moment, body stiff but shaky, “I-I didn’t want you to find out like this…” One of the shadows spoke up, “I see that you have personal relations with the hero Darkwing Duck. You imbecile! You know you can’t have a relationship with one, right?”</p><p>            "You have two choices Steelbeak, "One of the shadows piped up from the small monitor of the T.V. "Dispose of Darkwing Duck to prove your loyalty to us...or we'll have to kill you." There was an emphasis on the word kill that made the pair feel scared. Darkwing didn't know what to say to that and Steelbeak doesn't know what to do.</p><p>            The hunchback asks, “What will you choose, Steelbeak, his life or your life?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Flight or Fight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Darkwing couldn’t believe that the person he has been with for two years turns out to be part of a villainous organization. Steelbeak stared at the screen, waving his arms about, “B-but I-“ He was cut off by high command, “Can’t?, “ There came a chuckle, “Does your incompetence knows no end? Oh please you knew you couldn’t hide the fact that you were part of F.O.W.L.”</p><p>Steelbeak focused on the floor, not looking into anyone’s eye. “Steely…we can get out of this. You got D-darkwing Duck here.” That was a forced smile if he ever saw one, Steelbeak shakes his head with a solemn face. “I’m sorry Darkwing Duck…”</p><p>There was a warm pain in his gut and feeling of dizziness. What Darkwing Duck could see is a shine of a blade and a puddle of blood on the carpet. “Why…Steelbeak!” At this point the pain of this betrayal set in and he was crying.</p><p>Steelbeak hugged him one last time, “Its you or me babe, sorry but…I guess my will to live’s stronger than my love…”He doesn’t look into his eyes that were now closed. He stands over his body and angrily flips around to face high command, “Is THIS what you wanted!? HUH!?” He was tearing up, “I-I’m going to clean up…”</p><p>He went into his bathroom; he didn’t realize how much blood was on his hands and white suit until he looked into the mirror. “Heh gonna cost a lot to clean this out.” Steelbeak jokes dryly. He couldn’t believe it himself, the weight of what he’s done is now settling in.</p><p>The rooster sighs, “Come on! J-just get over this…( you can get over this) JUST-oh who ya kidd’n with this!?”Steelbeak started sobbing and punched the mirror, “YOU just stabbed the guy you were dating for TWO WHOLE YEARS!” He choked up while washing his hands of both his and Darkwing’s blood.</p><p>He returns to the room hearing insults again and no Darkwing in sight. Just a bloody stain on his carpet. Steelbeak was used to the scolding by now and got some cleaning supplies. It barely did anything to the stain but it wasn’t  that noticeable, so he didn’t pester with it. The T.V got turned off he guessed they had more important matters to attend to instead of berating him.</p><p>He also had more important matters like sleep, but even though he took a refreshing and relaxing shower and put on his soft purple robe, he couldn’t sleep. He just kept tossing and turning, unfolding the events in his mind and teared up again.</p><p>Steelbeak started sobbing once again at the sight of the gifts he was given. He puts a hand over his face, “Ha…h-he probably no-of course he hates me.” He sighs and goes back to crying, wondering if Darkwing is still alive.</p><p>…</p><p>“Ow! Ughh…he didn’t have to stab me this deep…” Darkwing Duck grunted while wrapping himself up with a torn part of his cape. “Reminds me of when I…” His thoughts drifted to the night they met and how he bandaged Steelbeak up. He cried out again and got up, stumbling out of the dark alleyway.</p><p>Darkwing managed to get on his motorcycle, even though his eyes were blurred with tears he still knew these streets like the back of his hand, so he wasn’t too worried. It took a toll, but he ended up at the hospital nonetheless. He told the doctor what he rehearsed in his head, “I was mugged and got away now could you please help me!?”</p><p>It took two days for him to heal properly, “So? Can I go now?” He asked impatiently. “Well…” The nurse who was looking after him read through some papers, “I don’t see why not, everything checks out, just sign this and you’ll be on your way.”</p><p>He signed the papers and got up to leave when the nurse stopped him, “And don’t do anything to strenuous, it might mess the stitches up.” Darkwing put his hat on and tipped it, “I’ll keep that in mind.”</p><p>Darkwing inhaled and exhaled deeply and sadly. This tower of his, while familiar, is lonely. While walking to his room he feels heavy, and knew the reason why, near his bed there were pictures of him and Steelbeak together. There was anger but also a loneliness in him, he wanted to throw away the photos but couldn’t out of something- a feeling Darkwing couldn’t describe.</p><p>He took his mask, hat and jacket off, and plopped onto his bed turning the pictures over to not see them. He ran the day through his head and regretted barging in that room but maybe it was good that he found out. Darkwing didn’t know.</p><p>He curls, putting his knees to his chest, why did he break his trust and why couldn’t he be just some normal citizen. Hell a low-time crook would be better than this. It was already night and he didn’t have the strength to go out crime fighting.</p><p>Darkwing told himself that after a day like that he deserves some peace and quiet. He supposed that the adrenaline drained from his body because he felt the crash of it all and fell asleep, still crying.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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